Sunday, October 17, 2010

Abu Simbel

The Great Temple at Abu Simbel in southern Egypt was built by Ramesses II in the 13th century BC. It was dedicated to Amun Ra, Ra-Horakhty and Ptah, the three most important gods of the time, and also to Ramesses himself, celebrated as a god. The nearby Small Temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Ramesses' queen Nefertari. The Great Temple was constructed in such a way that on two days, thought to be the dates of Ramesses birth and coronation, sunlight would shine through the entrance to the innermost chamber, where it would illuminate the statues of Amun Ra, Ra-Horakhty and Ramesses. The statue of Ptah always stayed in darkness as he was god of the underworld. Jumping forward three thousand years, the temples were completely excavated and moved during the 1960s to protect them from inundation as the waters of Lake Nasser rose behind the Aswan Dam.